This invention relates to an acetabular rim cutter which can be used for cutting the outer rim of an acetabulum to form an annular seating surface to receive a flanged acetabular cup or a rim cutter and acetabulum reamer which has the dual function of reaming an acetabulum and then cutting its rim. Such a flanged cup is sold by Stryker Corporation as the Exeter™ Contemporary Flanged Cup.
Rotary cutters are known but use of such rotary cutters for treating the rim of an acetabulum is difficult because the surgeon has difficulty in locating the cutter with sufficient accuracy.
There are also difficulties in cutting the rim of an acetabulum so that the annular seating surface is a predetermined distance from the base of the acetabulum and that the part-spherical bearing surface of the cup is at a desired depth from the cut seating surface so that there is a regular seating surface. The present invention is intended to overcome some of the difficulties referred to above.